The American Home
Encyclopedia
The American Home was a monthly magazine published in the United States from 1928 to 1977. Its subjects included domestic architecture
, interior design
, landscape design
, and gardening
.
The American Home was a continuation of the magazine Garden & Home Builder. It was published by Nelson Doubleday
of Doubleday, Doran & Company. Ellen Diffin Wangner edited the first issues, October 1928 to March 1929. The American Home lost money its first four years, and occasionally entire issues would be omitted. William Herbert Eaton, its circulation manager, became publisher in 1932, and subsequently bought the magazine in 1935, forming American Home Publishing Company, which continued to publish it in New York City until he sold the magazine in 1958 to Curtis Publishing Company
, its single-copy distributor. Under Eaton, the magazine was refocused toward the upper middle class
reader, leaving the higher end of the home market to fellow Doubleday magazine Country Life, which Eaton also bought.
By 1953, The American Home had a paid circulation of over 3 million copies, reaching a peak circulation of 3.7 million in 1962. As part of its desire to move out of mass circulation publications, Curtis sold the magazine in 1968 to Downe Communications
,. John Mack Carter purchased the magazine in 1973, and it was acquired in late 1975 by the Charter Company
.
In 1975 Charter Company
President and Chairman Raymond K. Mason
installed Leda Sanford
as president, publisher and editor-in-chief with a mandate to re-position the magazine and stem losses by attracting new readership. Sanford was the first female publisher of a national American magazine
. Her goal was to maintain a circulation of 2.5 million and appeal to newly liberated women. Sanford said she wanted the magazine to “speak intelligently to the college
-educated and informed woman,” telling the targeted reader how to “run her home
with flair, beauty and pizzazz.” The publication saw slight gains, but it wasn’t enough to save what the New York Times referred to as a “fixture on the American publishing
scene.”
After several years of losses, and in an era that saw the closure of the mass circulation magazines Life
, Look
, and The Saturday Evening Post
, the last issue of American Home, with a cover date of February 1978, was published in late 1977. It was then merged with the Charter magazine Redbook
.
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
, interior design
Interior design
Interior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities are to take place there. An interior designer is someone who conducts such projects...
, landscape design
Landscape design
Landscape design is an independent profession and a design and art tradition, practised by landscape designers, combining nature and culture. In contemporary practice landscape design bridges between landscape architecture and garden design.-Design scope:...
, and gardening
Gardening
Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...
.
The American Home was a continuation of the magazine Garden & Home Builder. It was published by Nelson Doubleday
Nelson Doubleday
Nelson Doubleday was a U.S. book publisher. He was the nephew of author Russell Doubleday, the son of Frank Nelson Doubleday and Neltje Blanchan, and the father of Nelson Doubleday Jr....
of Doubleday, Doran & Company. Ellen Diffin Wangner edited the first issues, October 1928 to March 1929. The American Home lost money its first four years, and occasionally entire issues would be omitted. William Herbert Eaton, its circulation manager, became publisher in 1932, and subsequently bought the magazine in 1935, forming American Home Publishing Company, which continued to publish it in New York City until he sold the magazine in 1958 to Curtis Publishing Company
Curtis Publishing Company
The Curtis Publishing Company, founded in 1891 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, became one of the largest and most influential publishers in the United States during the early 20th century. The company's publications included the Ladies' Home Journal and The Saturday Evening Post, The American Home,...
, its single-copy distributor. Under Eaton, the magazine was refocused toward the upper middle class
Upper middle class
The upper middle class is a sociological concept referring to the social group constituted by higher-status members of the middle class. This is in contrast to the term "lower middle class", which is used for the group at the opposite end of the middle class stratum, and to the broader term "middle...
reader, leaving the higher end of the home market to fellow Doubleday magazine Country Life, which Eaton also bought.
By 1953, The American Home had a paid circulation of over 3 million copies, reaching a peak circulation of 3.7 million in 1962. As part of its desire to move out of mass circulation publications, Curtis sold the magazine in 1968 to Downe Communications
Downe Communications
Downe Communications was a publishing company founded by Edward Downe, Jr. that produced several popular magazines and provided subscription fulfillment services from 1967 to 1978....
,. John Mack Carter purchased the magazine in 1973, and it was acquired in late 1975 by the Charter Company
Charter Company
The Charter Company of Jacksonville, Florida was a conglomerate with more than 180 subsidiaries that was in the Fortune 500 for 11 years beginning in 1974 and ranked 61st in 1984 before it sought bankruptcy protection in late 1984 and spiraled into obscurity....
.
In 1975 Charter Company
Charter Company
The Charter Company of Jacksonville, Florida was a conglomerate with more than 180 subsidiaries that was in the Fortune 500 for 11 years beginning in 1974 and ranked 61st in 1984 before it sought bankruptcy protection in late 1984 and spiraled into obscurity....
President and Chairman Raymond K. Mason
Raymond K. Mason
Raymond K. Mason has been an American business leader for nearly sixty years, almost 40 as head of the Charter Company in Jacksonville, Florida. Charter was in the Fortune 500 for 11 years beginning in 1974 and ranked 61st in 1984.-Personal life:...
installed Leda Sanford
Leda Sanford
Leda Sanford, , is an author, speaker, former publisher and former advertising director. She was the first female publisher of a major national magazine. She became president, publisher and editor-in-chief of the magazine American Home and the American Home Publishing Company in 1975...
as president, publisher and editor-in-chief with a mandate to re-position the magazine and stem losses by attracting new readership. Sanford was the first female publisher of a national American magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
. Her goal was to maintain a circulation of 2.5 million and appeal to newly liberated women. Sanford said she wanted the magazine to “speak intelligently to the college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
-educated and informed woman,” telling the targeted reader how to “run her home
Home
A home is a place of residence or refuge. When it refers to a building, it is usually a place in which an individual or a family can rest and store personal property. Most modern-day households contain sanitary facilities and a means of preparing food. Animals have their own homes as well, either...
with flair, beauty and pizzazz.” The publication saw slight gains, but it wasn’t enough to save what the New York Times referred to as a “fixture on the American publishing
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
scene.”
After several years of losses, and in an era that saw the closure of the mass circulation magazines Life
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
, Look
Look (American magazine)
Look was a bi-weekly, general-interest magazine published in Des Moines, Iowa from 1937 to 1971, with more of an emphasis on photographs than articles...
, and The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
, the last issue of American Home, with a cover date of February 1978, was published in late 1977. It was then merged with the Charter magazine Redbook
Redbook
Redbook is an American women's magazine published by the Hearst Corporation. It is one of the "Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines.-History:...
.